Fiery but Gently
by redcloudedleopard
Summary: *This is outside the FF:IA storyline!* See Chapter 1 of my story "License to Thrill" before you proceed. This is an idea for a symbolic little dream I spontaneously thought up. XD Young Azula befriends a dragon & he offers her a gist of wisdom.


"Hello? Anyone?"

Her voice wasn't the same. It resonated in an incredibly powerful way despite its sky-high pitch. As Azula scanned the deep glade, she felt the warmth of the sun's golden fingers rest upon her dainty white dress. The dress wasn't a garment she recalled owning but she took it to her liking indeed. She breathed so easily that it was as though the oxygen came in violent gushes.

She seemed to be in the middle of a forest's lush greenery, not caring how she got there. She just _did_. She thought the same about herself being clad in the dress too. Butterflies of the rainbow's colours flew about the area; the greetings of the crickets & cicadas went very nicely with them. The absolute beauty of nature's symphony was the most audible in this place. It carried a relaxed rhythmic pattern, yet could entice its listeners to wish it would go on forever.

The crisp morning air promised the perfect workout experience. She began to run, first starting with nothing more than a jog, letting the strides get naturally & gradually wider.

As she looked down she was now aware of a difference – she stared at her hands. Her palms appeared smaller in size than they should be. Was she…the age of seven…again? It was her favourite age, unusually; no one could say they favoured _one_ particular year of his or her life. She did feel seven again; perhaps this was slumber land. You sleep but you're awake at the same time, plus in your dreams you just 'know' that some things are meant to be what they are.

She was hoping fervently that it wasn't a dream, for a reason. Seven was her age just before she could fire bend. Before she was regarded as a hazard to anyone around her. She didn't ask for the lab accident that brought about her powers. In spite of the unmatched potential she had gained through the ability to generate blue fire, it was rather agonizing to bear that ability's weight.

Fire bending was the total opposite of safety. That 'art' posed threats not only to the things it touched, but also to its wielder. People called her 'blue dragon' – that nickname was given to her in a negative sense. That she totally despised. The flow of her emotions after the accident ceased to remain in control, resulting in her nearly injuring her classmates who taunted her. This happened all in a single day, & Ozai, her father, had to place her in a confined, secured & locked space in their home. She had turned wild, as if by an overnight transformation. In that space he disciplined her & tried to shape her character till her self-control sufficed.

When things did get better, she could return to learning in school. They now feared her too much to want to befriend her again. Very sadly, this scenario remained unchanged for the months to come. The root cause was the curse of her fiery powers. Her father had told her to be gentler, so the people would stop alienating her. She obeyed him, but to no avail, it seemed. She had undergone change, but the opinions of most others about her hadn't till the present day.

Eventually, she had decided to wear some sort of mask, to hide her powers the best she could. However, a feeling gnawed at her from time to time, bugging her about not being true to herself or believing that that 'curse' of hers was usable for the greater good.

The memory of all this was just beginning to sear her mind as she continued running now; she had to force it back. _Why_ couldn't she be done with the past for good, even in this surreal & serene place? In a flash her hands were ignited in blue flames – she got panicky & was in utter disbelief. The flames spread to coat her upper arm, threatening to lick at her pretty dress. In her state of restlessness, she tried brushing her hands on her outfit to try getting rid of the fire. The fabric of the garment caught fire as well.

A big part of her had the urge to cry. A paradox sounded silently in her head…that in a peaceful world there are imperfections. So was the case in which her bad memories couldn't be blotted out even by the tranquility found in this glade.

But suddenly, a rushing air current blew past her. It rid her clothing of the flames in an instant. Confusion overwhelmed Azula although she was relieved that she hadn't burnt any part of her clothes, aside from the edges of both sleeves.

Confusion became the least of her issues now; her eyes were fastened on an oddity of a creature crouched nearby. It was quite the spectacle, but was mysterious-looking. The whole body was jet black & it boasted ominous olive green eyes. An unquestionably intelligent pair of eyes they were.

To describe its physique, it had a short, nearly flat snout; a wide mouth; & two large ears with a couple of spikes between them. All four of its short limbs had three sharp claws each. Best of all were its two folded wings that gave its whole frame a beautifully streamlined shape. Lastly, it had a long graceful tail that swished.

Azula half froze, partly in awe, partly in fear. But the wind that put out her flames came from the creature's direction earlier. "You're a dragon?" she asked very excitedly.

The creature let out a snort, in a manner of mirth.

"Thank you for putting out the flames," Azula said to him.

He grunted & slinked forward – to inspect her, apparently. She held her breath as he lowered his muzzle to sniff. Even on all fours the dragon stood at one & a half times her maximum height, at least. She guffawed a little in amusement. The dragon kneeled on his front legs & roared playfully. Clearly he was enjoying this. Azula could even extend a hand to stroke the bottom of his jaw; it tickled so much he collapsed to the ground. His chin rested on her lap now as she caressed the side of his neck. One of his ears twitched to the right abruptly, following a sound of splashing from the lake water near them.

The dragon snarled & rapidly let out a powerful blue fireball from his mouth. It cut the lake water with a piercing noise & produced a large cloud of stream that eventually evaporated. A little taken aback, Azula looked to see where the projectile had hit the water surface.

"It's just a fish," she said soothingly.

The dragon's eyes lost a little bit of light, as if his expression had changed. He moaned softly but pleadingly.

"Hungry, are you?" asked Azula. She gazed at the water again, this time with concentration. Her eyes detected movement in one area of the lake, & she didn't hesitate to launch her own fireball. _Tsssszzzzt, _hissed the steam her attack had made, similiarly to the dragon's a while ago. A grin was upon her face – a fish floated up to the surface, still & lifeless. The dragon looked at the tantalizing floating morsel & turned to Azula in amazement. He then cocked his head to one side & seemed to purr deeply.

Next, Azula waded into the water that was shallow enough, & grabbed the fish before returning to the dragon's sitting spot.

"It's for you. I'm not hungry," she happily let him know. He made that purring sound again before scooping the fish out of her delicate palm. She saw that when he opened his mouth to seize his prey, no teeth lined his inner mouth – not until he bit into the fish. Flashing white rows of fangs appeared where there weren't any a second before, & he chewed & swallowed his meal.

When he had finished, he eyed the little girl earnestly, like he was pondering a thought or two.

Azula decided to start a 'conversation', "You can breathe fire…& put it out too. It's amazing how you did that."

He purred once more & bowed so she could touch his forehead, shutting his eyes slowly.

"I learnt something from you," she continued while he looked into her eyes, "you can be both fierce _& _gentle, but at the right time. & for the right reasons."

The dragon yawned.

"We're both the same," smiled Azula.

Her new friend flicked his ears & uttered a friendly grunt.

"I have a name for you," she laughed, "'Toothless'."


End file.
